1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to providing an auxiliary power connector on a refrigerator to enable a variety of portable electronic devices to be electrically connected to and powered through the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical domestic refrigerator runs on a predetermined power supply, e.g. a 120 volt supply in the United States, for operating various components including the overall refrigeration system, lights, an icemaker and the like. Generally, a domestic refrigerator is provided with a single plug that is coupled to an electrical socket or outlet arranged behind the refrigerator upon initial installation of the refrigerator in a household kitchen. Due to the location of the electrical outlet, it is generally inaccessible for use with other electrical devices. Instead, consumers rely upon the existence of other electrical outlets arranged at other locations spaced from the refrigerator about the kitchen for powering the other electrical devices.
It has been proposed in the past to provide a domestic refrigerator with an auxiliary electrical outlet that could be utilized for powering an electrical device, such as a lamp, directly from the refrigerator. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,724 discloses the mounting of an electrical outlet on the side of a refrigerator and plugging a lamp into the outlet. The electrical outlet is actually connected in parallel to a component of the refrigeration system such that the outlet is powered only when the refrigeration component is powered. Other proposed arrangements directly incorporate another electrical device into a refrigerator, such as a portable computer, TV or audio unit, with each of these devices being provided with a dedicated power line taken from the main refrigerator supply.
In modern society, individuals typically own various portable electronic devices having different power requirements and distinct power connectors. For example, cell phones and portable music players are extremely popular. These and other similar devices have integrated batteries which need to be periodically charged. For this reason, these devices are generally provided with individualized power charging cords and associated transformers. Since it is not convenient to carry these various power charging cords around, people tend to leave the charging cords in a predetermined location, such as at a nightstand or bedroom dresser, and periodically charge the devices from this location. Unfortunately, this arrangement is not always convenient.